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136 of 138 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It is a true classic!, January 29, 2005
Little House On The Prairie - The Complete Season One is probably the very best season of this series. This is because all the episodes are beautifully done with great character acting, beautiful scenery and wholesome true messages that are very realistic.
Michael Landon was the writer, star and executive producer of this drama series. Landon set the bar for excellence so high that no one in the past 30 years has come close to the accomplishments of "Little House On The Prairie."
It is rather unfortunate that TV has gone way downhill compared to the days of "Little House On The Prairie." But we still have all the beautiful episodes preserved on DVD.
I have seen every single episode of this series (thanks to TBS, because the first-run series was years before I was born) and I noticed that some of the episodes included clips that were not on the syndicated version. These are very short, but noticeable if you are a longtime watcher and fan like myself.
Some of the very best episodes from this season include: A Harvest of Friends, Country Girls, If I Should Wake Before I Die, and Christmas at Plum Creek.
Here is a full episode listing and description of every episode that is included in the Season One box set:
* A Harvest of Friends (original air date: September 11, 1974)
There's money for farm land, but nothing left over for a plow and seed until Charles discovers his "harvest of friends."
* Country Girls (original air date: September 18, 1974)
A lesson about snobbery awaits Mary and Laura on their first day at school, when they meet Nelli Oleson. Laura becomes a great storyteller but still needs to work on her spelling, according to Miss Beadle.
* The 100-Mile Walk (original air date: September 25, 1974)
After his crop is destroyed by hail, Charles hits the road in a search for work. He meets 2 friends at his new job, one of whom is killed tragically.
* Mr. Edwards' Homecoming (original air date: October 2, 1974)
Charles brings home Mr. Edwards, the Ingallses longtime friend (since the Pilot Movie). Caroline plays matchmaker, trying to set up the Widow Snyder and Mr. Edwards.
* The Love of Johnny Johnson (original air date: October 9, 1974)
Laura fancies a new and older classmate (Johnny Johnson) who seems to have eyes only for Mary that couldn't care less about him.
* If I Should Wake Before I Die (original air date: October 23, 1974)
To gather her family together, elderly Amy Hearn fakes her death and arranges for a wake on her 80th birthday with the help of Charles, Caroline, and Doc Baker.
* Town Party, Country Party (original air date: October 30, 1974)
Mary and Laura go to a lavish party at Nellie's. Mean-spirted Nellie twists Laura's ankle which gives Laura insight on how her disabled friend Olga may feel. Olga showcases her new shoes (enabling her to walk, courtesy of Charles) at the girls' country part.
* Ma's Holiday (original air date: November 6, 1974)
Despite being Inexperienced, Mr. Edwards baby-sits with the girls while their parents are away for a few days on Ma's holiday.
* School Mom (original air date: November 13, 1974)
Substitute teacher Caroline finds her biggest challenge in a shy teenager who never learned to read or write. She deals with him with kindness and compassion; two characteristics that Mrs. Oleson never learned.
* The Raccoon (original air date: November 20, 1974)
Although Charles advises against it, Laura tries to make a pet out of a raccoon. Jasper the raccoon causes much trouble and a due to a misunderstanding causes a rabies scare.
* The Voice of Tinker Jones (original air date: December 4, 1974)
A traveling coppersmith (that cannot speak) plays a key role in resolving a squabble over a bell for the church.
* The Award (original air date: December 11, 1974)
Mary's life is filled with complications as she prepares for a special exam. And, Caroline learns a lesson in punishment and discipline.
* The Lord Is My Shepherd, Part 1 (original air date: December 18, 1974)
A son is born to the Ingalls (Charles, Jr.), and everyone rejoices except Laura, who is afraid that the baby will replace her in her father's affections. Charles, Jr. passes away leaving Laura to blame herself without cause.
* The Lord Is My Shepherd, Conclusion (original air date: December 18, 1974)
Jonathan, a mountain dweller comforts Laura, who has run away out of guilt over the death of a baby brother she never wanted. Charles and Mr. Edwards are guided to Laura.
* Christmas at Plum Creek (original air date: December 25, 1974)
The Ingalls family is short on cash but long on ingenuity in celebrating Christmas at Plum Creek. Laura trades her horse (Bunny) to Mr. Oleson for a new stove for Ma Ingalls and her only regret is that her father spent too much time on a new saddle for Bunny (not knowing that Laura had already agreed to trade her).
* Doctor's Lady (original air date: January 15, 1975)
Doc Baker romances Mrs. Oleson's niece and contemplates marriage until he realizes that their age-gap is just too big. This is probably Doc Baker's only romance in the shows 10-year run.
* Family Quarrel (original air date: January 22, 1975)
The Olesons finally separate, and neither will budge an inch to patch up their differences until Caroline and Charles intervene to help patch things up.
* The Circus Man (original air date: January 29, 1975)
A traveling entertainer dispenses powders with "healing powers" and is asked to leave Walnut Grove due to his irresponsible message. Charles reluctantly asks him back for Laura's sake; and Laura learns a valuable lesson in honesty.
* Plague (original air date: February 5, 1975)
An epidemic of typhus breaks out in Walnut Grove. Charles, Doc Baker, and the Reverend Alden help care for the sick as they turn the town church into a hospice.
* Child of Pain (original air date: February 12, 1975)
An alcoholic farmer abuses his young son until the town of Walnut Grove intervene. Charles helps the father sober up while Caroline and the Ingalls girls invite the young son (Graham) into their home as their guest for a few weeks, while his father gets better.
* Money Crop (original air date: February 12, 1975)
Hope turns to anger when a young agronomist fails to return from Minneapolis with a promising new seed corn.
* Survival (original air date: February 26, 1975)
A U.S. marshal involves the family in his bigoted pursuit of a Sioux Chief. Charles helps save the life of the Chief after he is shot by the marshal while the entire family is holed up in a small shack waiting out a spring blizzard.
* To See the World (original air date: March 5, 1975)
Farm boy Johnny Johnson runs off to see the world and learns a valuable lesson from Mr. Edwards and Miss Mei Mei.
* Founder's Day (original air date: May 7, 1975)
An aging logger puts his pride on the line in the Founder's Day log-chopping contest. Charles learns that sometimes it is more important to have compassion than it is to win, and he lovingly passes that message on to Laura.
I am so happy I own this season on DVD. And, I plan on getting more of the "Little House On The Prairie" DVD box sets. Please know that the Season One box set does not include the original pilot movie of "Little House On The Prairie." That is sold separately. I suspect that is because the original pilot movie was not actually part of the first-run series but more of a movie as it did not ever appear in syndication. Speaking of syndication, I hope TBS will bring back "Little House On The Prairie." Until a couple of years ago it was shown twice daily. This is such a wonderful show for all generations. It is a classic!
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89 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent show, excellent release, July 6, 2003
The first season of "Little House On the Prairie" is an excellent example of what a smaller independent distributor can do for television shows on DVD. Take a classic show like "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", for instance: it's first season was released by mega-studio 20th Century Fox in September 2002. Ten months later, we still don't even know if Fox will release the rest of the series due to poor sales and the fact that they are busied with franchises like "24", "The Simpsons" and "The Shield".Enter Goldhil Home Media, a smaller company who I wish held more distribution properties than it does. Because, simply put, it makes the best of what it does have. Case in point, releasing two beautiful 6-disc season sets of "Little House On the Prairie" on the same day in July. Further assuring us that we're not wasting our money on a series we know will never be completed, they've included a message in the episode guides/booklets stating that seasons 3 and 4 are coming soon. Now that's awesome. Did I mention these sets are beautiful? Each disc features a member of the Ingalls family against a beautiful blue sky and golden prairie. The handy booklet gives a rundown of every episode. The menus are great and play the classic theme song until you select an episode (4 eps per disc). The opening theme only appears over the first episode on each disc but the end titles are included for every episode. Unless you obsess over the opening theme for some reason, this is not a big deal. The content of the show itself is great. They've restored and remastered the original material and it looks and sounds better than you've ever seen it on television. To quote the booklet: "The vintage material included is this Special Collector's Edition has been restored using state-of-the-art color correction, picture enhancement and noise reduction technologies." I'm only through the first disc (having just found this at a retail store 3 days before its expected release date) and have found plenty of heart-warming moments and can tell that there will be many more hardships for the Ingalls family before the first season concludes. As soon as I am able, I plan to empty my pockets for the season 2 box set. From there, I'll be anxiously awaiting the release day for seasons 3 and 4. Goldhil Home Media has certainly won me over and proven that the indie distributors really tend to appreciate their properties and treat them with all the respect they deserve. Note: The 2-hour pilot episode is not included on this set, as it was run as a TV movie before the series was set in stone. The good news is that Goldhil is releasing the pilot separately on the same day! As is, the series picks up with the episode entitled "A Harvest of Friends", in which the Ingalls have just moved from Kansas to Walnut Grove, MN. EPISODE LIST: DISC 1 - A Harvest of Friends, Country Girls, The 100 Mile Walk, Mr. Edwards' Homecoming
DISC 2 - The Love of Johnny Johnson, If I Should Wake Before I Die, Town Party Country Party, Ma's Holiday
DISC 3 - School Mom, The Raccoon, The Voice of Tinker Jones, The Award
DISC 4 - The Lord Is My Shepherd (2 hours long), Christmas at Plum Creek, Family Quarrel
DISC 5 - Doctor's Lady, The Plague, The Circus Man, Child of Pain
DISC 6 - Money Crop, Survival, To See the World, Founder's Day
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103 of 110 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"Old Dan Tucker Was A Fine Old Man.......", November 4, 2003
"Washed His Face in a Frying Pan......". Everybody has their favorite characters when it comes to these vintage TV episodes of "Little House on the Prairie". I guess it's obvious who mine is..who's yours? All your favorites from this first season(1974-1975) are here in these 23 complete(without all the commercials)epsidoes.You'll cry over sentimental favorites including "A Harvest of Friends" and "The Lord is My Shepherd". Then you'll find yourself grinning ear to ear with such joyous stories of "Christmas at Plum Creek", and "The Voice of Tinker Jones"."Survival" will have you on the edge of your seat as Charles tries to protect a Souix Indian from a vengeful man, and Johnny Johnson and Mr. Edwards(Victor French) will keep you chuckling when they lose their hearts and all their money to "Miss Mimi" in "To See The World".Each episode has it's own charm. Many are inspirational,some humorous, and all are sure to stir your emotions in some way.These stories are rare TV programs that the whole family may enjoy.They have stood the test of time and should be shared with each new generation.The music by David Rose gives the perfect feel to each story and character. The set also includes "Country Girls", "The 100 Mile Walk","Mr. Edwards' Homecoming","The Love of Johnny Johnson","If I Should Die Before I Wake(this was a great episode of an eldery woman faking her funeral to get her children to visit her),"Town Party, Country Party","Ma's Holiday", "School Mom","The Racoon","The Award"(after starting a fire while studying for a special test, will Mary heed Ma's punishment?),"Family Quarrel","Doctor's Lady","The Plague"(look for a very touching scene between Michael Landon and real life daughter Leslie Landon in this one),"Circus Man", "Child of Pain","Money Crop", and "Founder's Day"(the Ingalls and Oleson's competetive spirit come out in this one). Although there are occasional signs of age, and every once in a while the color seems to be off a little(green eggs and ham anyone?), for the most part these classic TV programs were given some wonderful attention to the transfers to DVD. The picture enhancement is clear and sharp, color nicely corrected and they sound great.There are six discs, in a nice fold out case, with pictures of various cast members.Four episodes to a disc each running about 45min.(about 19 hours in all)."The Lord Is My Shepherd" being the only two part episode in the set. You can "play all" or choose the episode you wish to view. In either case, the opening credit scene (the family in the wagon), is only shown at the beginning of each disc.Although each story opens with the technical credits, what you miss is the major guest stars(the rest are all shown at the end of each episode). But...you will surely recognize such legendary greats as Ernest Borgnine, Red Buttons, and Forrest Tucker, and such notables as Chuck McCann,Dirk Blocker and Bonnie Bartlett.The Special features are not so special..a quiz that doesn't work, a few pictures of cast members from various seasons and some bios of some of the stars.But the real bonus here are these wonderful stories. My only reason for going 4 stars is that the pilot epsiode("The Premiere Movie") is not included and must be bought separatly at one third the price of what this whole season cost. I would suggest to go with the "Goodtimes" edition. It is a nice transfer and costs less. Otherwise this is a five star set. Fans of "Little House" should grab this up.I am always so inspired by these stories I just want to go out and plow my yard..but...I'll probably just kick back and check out "Season Two" now.... "Git out the way for Old Dan Tucker, he's too late to get his supperrrrrr"......enjoy...Laurie
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